Dear Racist Teacher by Sorayah I. Tatoute

Dear Racist Teacher,

Yes, I said Racist Teacher

Not all of you said a racial slur, but you failed to be a teacher of all colors

You failed to give everyone the same opportunities

You just failed being a teacher

I've had a good amount of racist teachers

And if you find this surprising,

You are the color that gets asked to stop talking

You are probably the color that doesn't always have an attitude

You are probably the color that gets extensions on assignments

The color that isn't lazy, just unfocused

You are probably the 'right color'.

Last year, I came to a new school thinking I could have a fresh start, you know?

But I guess I was wrong, being yelled at for the bare minimum

When white, is never the issue.

I was always taught to stand up for myself

But not too tall

Too tall to racist teacher seems aggressive

Too proud to racist teachers seems disrespectful

Standing up for myself was seen as talking 

Standing up for myself was seen as being defensive

And being seen too often by racist teachers beacame tiring.

Tiring became exhaustion

And exhaustion started whispering to me at night

The whispers told me to stop defending myself

The whispers told me "You're never gonna make it"

The whispers told me don't stand up

Sit down

Stay down

Be quiet

Make yourself small

Not small enough

Smaller.

Dear Racist Teacher,

You told me,

As if ypur words were Hot iron labeling me,

As if your words were branding me

Speaking reputation onto me

Once seen that brand couldn't be unseen on me

And that label reads

"Sorayah is a disrespectful black girl".

Dear Racist Teacher,

Those words were a beating you didn't mean them to be

I waas sleeping before you said them to me

Those words were a wake up alarm I didn't know I needed

To hear but now I'm better than what you believe me to be

Now I can really see

Sorayah is a poweful black woman

Is a tall black woman-

Disrespectful was when you thought otherwise

When you sized down my size

When you didn't realize

That Sorayah is a strong black woman.